As companies compete for top talent, the candidate's interview experience becomes a major factor in a future employee's decision to accept an offer. The goal is to make sure your company stands out by providing a great interview experience that will leave a lasting impression. The way the interview is conducted can also be a determining factor in whether or not the candidate accepts the offer.

Candidates use the interview process to actively gauge the quality of a potential employer and their long-term prospects with the company. If a candidate has a positive interview experience, they are more likely to accept an offer from that company. Conversely, if a candidate has a negative interview experience, they are less likely to want to work for that company, no matter how good the salary or job title may be.

If you’d like to learn more about how to give each candidate a great interview experience, check out “Interviewer Preparation: What To Do Before the Interview.”

Candidates may be more likely to leave the interview process after a negative experience. In a recent article from Glassdoor, “Why Candidates Reject Job Offers,” the author notes that the interview process is the best predictor of how a candidate will feel as an employee. The article goes on to say that in today's job market, where candidates have more power than ever, a company's ability to attract and retain top talent rests largely on the quality of their interviewing process.

The goal of the interview is twofold. Not only is the interviewer assessing whether the candidate has the required skills for the job, but the candidate is also gauging the quality of the employer and their long-term prospects with the company. There are a number of factors that go into making an interviewing process great. Interviewer preparation, candidate research, skills assessments, reference checks, lists of questions on the part of an HR team, coordinating team interviews, interview intelligence, and so much more.

Each step in the process has a potential point of failure, at which point each company risks giving candidates a negative experience. Video interview software is a simple way to solve this challenge. It helps employers reduce the risk of bad interviews, allows them to speed up the hiring process, and saves time and money on costly mishires.

Video interview software does this by providing a structured interview format that allows for semi-structured questions, skills assessments, and easy grading at each step in the process. Interview intelligence software also offers the ability to easily connect with candidates who may not be able to come in for an in-person interview. Hiring representatives can assess candidates from a more diverse pool of applicants.

Most Common Virtual Interviewing Platforms

There are dozens of video interviewing platforms, and the most common virtual interview platforms are MyInterview, VidCruiter, and InterviewStream, to name a few. When deciding which one is right for you, here are a few factors to evaluate:

1. Ease of use: The platform should be easy to use for both the interviewer and the candidate. There should be a low learning curve so that you can start using the platform quickly and efficiently.
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2. Flexibility: The platform should allow for both live and pre-recorded interviews. It should also provide the ability to do one-way or two-way video interviewing.3. Scalability: The platform should be able to grow with your company. As your company grows, the platform should be able to accommodate more users and more interview types.
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4. Customer service: The vendor should have a robust customer service offering so that you can get help when you need it.
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5. Price: The platform should be affordable for your company. There should be a variety of pricing options so that you can choose the one that fits your budget.

6. Integrations: The video interview software you choose should integrate with all of the tools you use daily. Tools like Zoom, Lever, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Google Calendar have become second nature in SaaS. 

‍Pillar's video interview intelligence software integrates into all of these tools to provide a seamless addition to your recruiting tech stack. Our video interview software solutions help employers improve their interviewing process by providing a structured interview format that allows for semi-structured questions, skills assessments, and easy grading at each step in the process.

AI Interview Software

The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) is far-reaching and one of the most discussed topics in recruiting today. Many startups are looking to use AI to improve the recruiting process. From sourcing candidates and matching them with job openings to interviewing and grading candidate assessments, AI is changing how we look at recruiting today.

There are a few different ways that AI is being used in video interviewing. The first is in the area of transcription. Pillar uses AI to transcribe video interviews so that they can be easily searchable and stored for later review. This allows the interviewer to focus all their attention on engaging the candidate. It also means that candidates aren't being asked the same redundant questions throughout the interview process.

The second way AI interview software is being used is in the area of bias. Bias can be a huge problem in recruiting. When it comes to hiring, people often unconsciously give preference to those who are like them. This is where AI can help. By using semi-structured questions and processes in a video interview, AI can identify and eliminate bias in the process. 

Avoid asking biased or irrelevant questions during interviews. This allows employers to make sure they're hiring the best candidate for the job, regardless of who they are. For more tips on removing bias from interviews, check out “How to Remove Bias from Interviews.” It contains various ways to identify unconscious bias in recruiting so you can remove it from your interview process.

The third way AI is being used in video interview software is in team interviewing coaching. When a team of interviewers is working together to interview a candidate, it can be difficult to verify that everyone is on the same page. AI interview software can help by providing real-time feedback to the interviewer on their performance. This allows them to make sure they're on track, asking the right questions, and getting the information they need from the candidate. It also gives the HR team confidence that the candidates being interviewed are getting a fair chance to prove themselves.

Pillar's video interview intelligence platform uses AI in all of these ways to help improve the recruiting process. If you'd like to see how it works, check out this video.